Grand Duchy of Tuscany

The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed from 1569 to 1801 and from 1815 to 1859, with Florence serving as its capital. Tuscany became a grand duchy on 27 August 1569 after Cosimo I de Medici, ruler of the Duchy of Florence, purchased Elba from Genoa and conquered Siena. The Pope made Cosimo a Grand Duke, and the House of Medici ruled the duchy until 1737; in 1691, the Medici were made royalty by the Holy Roman Empire. The House of Habsburg-Lorraine inherited the throne in 1737, and it ruled the duchy until 1859. In 1801, the French Consulate created the Kingdom of Etruria, but the Grand Duchy was restored at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In 1859, Sardinia-Piedmont annexed Tuscany, and 95% of voters approved of its annexation.